Time to BE You

Happy Saturday, friends! The sun is shining bright here, and I am so thankful:) Today, our topic for our blog hop is Time to BE You (it says January since I'm a week behind;)).

I think being US has gotten harder. I don't know if it's just me getting older, or the social media world taking over, but everyone else's life looks pretty great, right? Perfect family photos, delicious and healthy meals on the table, clean homes, beautifully decorated, etc. Surely they never deal with headaches, clutter, and bad hair days;). I think for many of us, we can feel a lot of discontentment with our own lives and just being US isn't so exciting, compared to what it seems like "everyone else" has. 

As I think of how we solve this, I really think it comes down to knowing our identity in Christ. Knowing who we were created to be, and resting in that. This is an area I want to grow in this year - reconnecting with who He made me to be, and feeling confident in that. We are enough! There seems to be so much comparison, and we know comparison is the thief of joy. Really think about that for a second. We may be content with and thankful for our job, then see someone else get a promotion, or a new job that all of the sudden, makes us feel like we aren't satisfied with what we have. That comparison can steal our joy so fast if we aren't careful.

I went to the eye doctor this week for a checkup and am getting glasses! I've been adjusting to this idea all week (really truly, grieving a little!), and am a little anxious to get them and get used to them. I keep looking back at this selfie I sent Nick when I picked out frames Tuesday, trying to get used to this face! I'm sure like everything else, I'll adjust to them after I give them some time:) 

Reflecting on this week and this topic today, I realize how absorbed I've been comparing my new glasses to photos of my friends and other people I look up to in their glasses. Trying to see if mine look like they "should", feeling self conscious about my frames choice, etc. If I hadn't looked at ANY of that, I'm sure I'd love my choice! Once I start looking at all of the others, I start to compare, and feel less confident about my own. This can happen so very easily today, in SO many areas of life. This discontentment can get a foothold on us and start to cause some major shifts. I'm going to try to recognize when I start to do that, stop myself, and speak words of truth and affirmation to myself. 

Here are some affirmations I found to use to encourage myself. Let's pull these into our self talk! Write them on our mirrors, tape to our desk. Send a friend a note, with these affirmations about them. How beautiful and uplifted will we feel, if we remind ourselves of these things when we feel discontentment creep into our minds?

God has a good and perfect plan for my life. (Jer. 29:11)

I love me. (Mark 12:31)

I am beautiful. (Gen. 1:27; Ps. 139:14; Eccl. 3:11) 

God has blessed me with all I need to fulfill his will for my life. (2 Peter 1:3) 

God loves me and I have his approval, and that is all that truly matters. (2 Tim. 2:15) 

In Jesus I have the victory; therefore, I cannot lose. (1 Cor. 15:57)

I will pray for change and not complain. (Ps. 37:8-9) 

Who can you uplift with some encouragement this week? 

Today's Pinspiration:

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Thinking Big{ger}

Hey friends! Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I'm watching the commercials as I work on this post during the game. Ha! I have a new blog hop post for you all - the topic is Think Bigger. 

It's easy - can be very easy really - to get lost in our little world. We can get consumed by the details, appointments, recipes planned for dinners this week, crossing everything off our list by the end of the day. It's easy with all of our responsibilities to keep blinders on, focused only on ourselves. To me, thinking big is reminding ourselves that for one, God is our Savior, that we are here on earth to glorify Him and fulfill the life He's given us. For two, to serve others. We never know what's going on in someone else's life. I think of this often at stores I go to - some people get so snappy with cashiers, etc., and I can't help but think - you don't know who she is, what may be going on in her life outside these doors. Maybe it's great! And that's great - but maybe it isn't. Either way, she deserves respect and kindness, even if you don't agree with her companies policy, or how fast she's checking people out. 



Basically, pausing to remind ourselves we serve out God and His people while we're here on earth. Trust me, I'm not perfect at this. I'm a pretty empathetic person, so I do think of how things make others feel fairly often, but it's easy to get so distracted in my own mind and not see it. 

Let's love our God and those around us! It's cliche, but how great could this world be, really truly, if we smile more to others, give ten compliments per day to people, PRAY for those we come in contact with, those we don't get to see as often as we'd like. Those people may in turn do the same, and we can make a difference with these simple things. Let's be aware of it this week! I'd love to hear in the comments, on Instagram, on Facebook, or commenting on this blog post, ways you like to do this, or ideas you have.

Psst- In case you missed them, I've posted some videos to the blog of how I use essential oils for tension related head pain & when I feel winter crud coming on. If you already have your oils, I hope these vids help you use them! If you don't have your oils yet, what are you waiting for?! ;)

Today's Pinspiration: 

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